In addition to an evolving COVID-19 resource page, MHAC is continuing to collect and share updates on COVID-19 from state government, federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control, and other key stakeholders.
These updates are to help and inform a wide range of individuals and partners, including communities working to become more age- and dementia friendly.
Please see the latest updates below: Continue reading
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP collaborated on Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 – an update to the organizations’ research report series conducted roughly every five years. Continue reading
Communities and partners in the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative network may be interested in the following virtual opportunities:
During this unprecedented time of COVID-19, the demand on family caregivers has never been greater. There are more than 840,000 family caregivers across the Commonwealth providing care to loved ones while balancing their work and other family responsibilities. The Roundtable helped launch the Massachusetts Caregivers Coalition bringing together business, education and public sector leaders to better understand and address the needs of family caregivers, a growing and essential part of workforces across every industry sector.
In this webinar, first in a planned series, a panel will address the realities of caregiving during COVID-19 and provide resources and strategies shared by experts. Confirmed speakers and moderators include Roundtable member Mark Butler, Cigna New England, Robin Lipson, Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Alexandra Drane, ARCHANGELS, as well as leaders from Roundtable members Seniorlink and Care.com.
Join the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA) for a thoughtful discussion on ways to prevent social isolation and promote mental health during this unprecedented time in our history.
Suicide, depression, anxiety, and problems with alcohol and medications are issues that older adults face. The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that by 2030, there will be nearly 75 million Americans over age 65. A 2012 study from the Institute of Medicine found that nearly 1 in 5 older Americans has one or more mental health/substance use conditions. According to 2018 data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and reported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, adults in the 75-84 and 85+ age groups are among those with the highest rates of suicide.
Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day 2020 will feature remarks from Lance Robertson, ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging, and Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. It will also share the latest information on social isolation and loneliness from Dr. Dilip Jeste, University of California San Diego Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry.
More Information on COVID-19 Responses:
VA Resources, including What Veterans Need to Know and Maintaining Your Mental Health and Well-Being
Informal, unpaid caregivers provide important support to family members, friends, and the health care system and might compromise their own health to provide this support. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has labeled caregiving a public health issue of increasing importance and recently released data on the self-reported health status of informal unpaid caregivers. Continue reading
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is seeking input on the challenges faced by family caregivers from individuals and organizations that capture the breadth of the family caregiving experience. Continue reading
The Boston College Center for Retirement and Research recently shared news on their blog about state-based policies to support caregivers that have gone into effect in 2020. Continue reading
Coming off the heels of a toolkit developed by the Mass. Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Mass. Business Roundtable and the Mass. eHealth Institute to help Massachusetts employers better support caregivers in the workplace, the AARP Family Caregiving Team and Public Private Strategies (PPS) partnered to created a website providing more resources and guidance on the issue. Continue reading
Based on public messaging research, the Massachusetts Coalition on Serious Illness Care developed the Good Talk Toolkit to be a resource that supplements your organization’s capacity to build awareness and understanding for advance care planning.
The messaging and campaign are intended to shift the frame of advance care planning away from “end of life” and “life-sustaining treatment choices” towards goals of care, quality of life and shared decision making thus also bringing it into closer alignment with palliative care principles. Continue reading
A new survey of more than 2,700 older patients and caregivers from The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) and WebMD assesses opinions on Age-Friendly Health Care, which require attention to what matters to the older person and their caregivers in order to ensure high-value care resulting in consumer satisfaction.
The good news is that 87% of the more than 2,700 respondents to the Driving Towards Age-Friendly Care for the Future survey of older adults and family caregivers report satisfaction with the care they have received in the past 12 months. This high satisfaction, however, has some caveats. Continue reading
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a modernized and redesigned Medicare Plan Finder, which is the most used tool on Medicare.gov. Continue reading
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